88 Remarks on Prof. Huxley's 



The Schizognathce include a large assemblage of birds belong- 

 ing to the Cuvierian Orders Gallinacea, Gralla, and Palmipedes. 

 In this Suborder the vomer, though of variable size, always 

 tapers to a point anteriorly, while behind it embraces the basi- 

 sphenoidal rostrum between the palatals ; but neither these last 

 nor the pterygoids are borne by its posterior divergent ends. 

 The maxillo-palatals are usually elongated and lamellar; they 

 unite with the palatals, and, bending backwards along their 

 inner edge, leave a fissure between the vomer and themselves. 

 Except that the birds composing this Suborder arc said never 

 to possess more than one pair of muscles in the lower larynx, 

 no other common characters are assigned to them. Six groups 

 are distinguishable, which Prof. Iluxley names respectively, (1) 

 Charadnomoryhcp , (2) Gerauomorphce, (3) CecomorphcB, (4) Sphe- 

 niseomorphce, (5) Alectorumorp/ice, and (6) Peristcromorph(B. 



The remaining grouj)s of Grallae and Palmipedes, the Acci- 

 pitres, the Scansores, the SyndactylcB, most of the Fissirostres, 

 and Upupa form the Suborder Desmoynathoe. In these birds 

 the vomer is either abortive or so small that it disappears from 

 the skeleton. When it exists it is always slender, and tapers 

 to a point anteriorly. The maxillo-palatals are united across 

 the middle line, either directly or by the intervention of ossifi- 

 cations in the nasal septum. The posterior ends of the palatals 

 and the anterior of the pterygoids articulate directly with the 

 rostrum. No other positive common characters seem to be pos- 

 sessed by the birds of this Suborder, which is divided into seven 

 groups as follows: — (1) ChenomurphcB, (2) AmphimorphcBf 

 (3) PelargomorphcB, (4) Dysjioroinorpha, (5) Actomorphce, 

 (6) Psittacomorph(B, and (7) Cuccyyomorphce. 



Between this and the next Suborder, at present vincertain 

 whether he should refer them to either, but, if so, inclining to 

 the latter. Prof. Huxley temporarily places, under the name of 

 Celeomorphce, the Woodpeckers and Wrynecks. 



All other existing birds — and of course incomparably the 

 largest number of species — are placed in the Suborder ^githo- 

 gnathcs, which comprehends the Order Passeres as restricted by 

 the latest ornithologists, together with a few other forms which 

 do not seem to arrive at the full Passerine perfection. These are 



